diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_dom_save.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_dom_save.c
index 6487672277..2e9ec4dbf2 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_dom_save.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_dom_save.c
@@ -361,6 +361,7 @@ void libxl__domain_save(libxl__egc *egc, libxl__domain_save_state *dss)
 
     dsps->ao = ao;
     dsps->domid = domid;
+    dsps->live = !!live;
     rc = libxl__domain_suspend_init(egc, dsps, type);
     if (rc) goto out;
 
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_dom_suspend.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_dom_suspend.c
index ca41107412..1e904bae8a 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_dom_suspend.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_dom_suspend.c
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ int libxl__domain_suspend_device_model(libxl__gc *gc,
         if (libxl__qmp_stop(gc, domid))
             return ERROR_FAIL;
         /* Save DM state into filename */
-        ret = libxl__qmp_save(gc, domid, filename);
+        ret = libxl__qmp_save(gc, domid, filename, dsps->live);
         if (ret)
             unlink(filename);
         break;
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h b/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
index 506687fbe9..8dd63319fc 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
@@ -1822,7 +1822,8 @@ _hidden int libxl__qmp_stop(libxl__gc *gc, int domid);
 /* Resume QEMU. */
 _hidden int libxl__qmp_resume(libxl__gc *gc, int domid);
 /* Save current QEMU state into fd. */
-_hidden int libxl__qmp_save(libxl__gc *gc, int domid, const char *filename);
+_hidden int libxl__qmp_save(libxl__gc *gc, int domid, const char *filename,
+                            bool live);
 /* Load current QEMU state from file. */
 _hidden int libxl__qmp_restore(libxl__gc *gc, int domid, const char *filename);
 /* Set dirty bitmap logging status */
@@ -3264,6 +3265,7 @@ struct libxl__domain_suspend_state {
     /* set by caller of libxl__domain_suspend_init */
     libxl__ao *ao;
     uint32_t domid;
+    bool live;
 
     /* private */
     libxl_domain_type type;
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_qmp.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_qmp.c
index b1c6598cf7..d03cb51668 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_qmp.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_qmp.c
@@ -350,7 +350,6 @@ static int qmp_handle_response(libxl__gc *gc, libxl__qmp_handler *qmp,
     return 0;
 }
 
-#if 0
 static bool qmp_qemu_check_version(libxl__qmp_handler *qmp, int major,
                                    int minor, int micro)
 {
@@ -359,7 +358,6 @@ static bool qmp_qemu_check_version(libxl__qmp_handler *qmp, int major,
             (qmp->version.minor > minor ||
              (qmp->version.minor == minor && qmp->version.micro >= micro)));
 }
-#endif
 
 /*
  * Handler functions
@@ -942,13 +940,27 @@ int libxl__qmp_system_wakeup(libxl__gc *gc, int domid)
     return qmp_run_command(gc, domid, "system_wakeup", NULL, NULL, NULL);
 }
 
-int libxl__qmp_save(libxl__gc *gc, int domid, const char *filename)
+int libxl__qmp_save(libxl__gc *gc, int domid, const char *filename, bool live)
 {
     libxl__json_object *args = NULL;
+    libxl__qmp_handler *qmp = NULL;
+    int rc;
+
+    qmp = libxl__qmp_initialize(gc, domid);
+    if (!qmp)
+        return ERROR_FAIL;
 
     qmp_parameters_add_string(gc, &args, "filename", (char *)filename);
-    return qmp_run_command(gc, domid, "xen-save-devices-state", args,
-                           NULL, NULL);
+
+    /* live parameter was added to QEMU 2.11. It signal QEMU that the save
+     * operation is for a live migration rather that for taking a snapshot. */
+    if (qmp_qemu_check_version(qmp, 2, 11, 0))
+        qmp_parameters_add_bool(gc, &args, "live", live);
+
+    rc = qmp_synchronous_send(qmp, "xen-save-devices-state", args,
+                              NULL, NULL, qmp->timeout);
+    libxl__qmp_close(qmp);
+    return rc;
 }
 
 int libxl__qmp_restore(libxl__gc *gc, int domid, const char *state_file)